When Demo Day originally began, it was a way for startups to pitch accredited investors to try to get funding, according to Abby Ober, operations and marketing manager for UpTech.

“We’ve transformed that into more of a community Demo Day,” says Ober. “We believe it’s more important for our startups to get in front of the community they’re in — the community they’re working in — and meet those individuals that are not investors, but they could have those connections that are really beneficial to them in the long run.”

“We’re really looking forward to this group of companies — I think we say this every year — they just keep getting better, which is exciting,” Ober continues.

Six startups will pitch this year, three from the area and three from across the country, including New York, Oakland, CA, and a team that consists of people from Seattle, Austin, and Los Angeles.

“It’s really exciting to see the individuals coming to Cincinnati and realizing the Cincinnati area has the ecosystem that they need and they don’t have to go to the coasts,” Ober says.

“I know that a lot of people really love ‘Shark Tank,’ she continues, laughing. “It’s kind of like a real live ‘Shark Tank’ for them, except no one gets money the day of.”

The six candidates include:

Convolytics, offering insights on sales calls and suggestions on how to improve those calls

OrgAnalytix, which helps companies and managers be more inclusive by getting rid of unconscious bias through data visualization

Plantalytics, a group that creates digital tools to help diversified farmers manage their farm business operations and connect to new local buyers

Weeve, which reduces turnover at businesses by providing a better way to understand and act on employee feedback

Apex Sports, delivering drills, techniques, and tips from national athletes through an interactive online platform

UpTech gathers these national and international candidates through a variety of channels, including using a global platform for accelerators and startups, recruiting through mentors and investors, and alumni of the program.

“The best accolade we could get is for some alumni company to really love what they got out of this company and then go on and suggest it to their friends or individuals they meet in the entrepreneurship community,” she says.

She goes on to explain that UpTech will announce some new and exciting paths that they’re going down in 2019, and the attendees will be the first to see the first glimpse of what the company’s looking to be this year.

She couldn’t, however, go into further detail aside from the fact that there will be a new direction and programing, but those who attend the event will be privy to the changes.

Jessica Esemplare is the managing editor of Soapbox Cincinnati and a graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Shortly after completing her degree in magazine journalism, she began covering local and regional topics at The Cincinnati Herald and, later, as an editor at Ohio Magazine. Her writing has also been featured in U.S. News and World Report.